Kiwis Now Eat Nearly 50 Pounds Less Meat Per Capita

New data shows a substantial decline in meat consumption across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

According to local media outlet Newstalk ZB (NTZB), New Zealand residents are consuming 20 kilos (44 pounds) less meat per capita than they did 10 years ago. NTZB spoke with local butcher shop owner Hannah Miller who confirmed that sales at her shop Lady Butcher have declined in recent years as consumers are increasingly buying smaller portions. Other regions around the world have also reported a decline in both meat consumption and production. According to market data gathered by research firm Kantar World Panel (KWP), 29 percent of United Kingdom residents consumed a meat-free dinner in 2017. “The surge in vegetarian evening meals over the past year is down to the wider availability of products which make eating meat-free more attractive and practical,” KWP usage expert Richard Allen said. “Our ideas about what’s healthy are also changing—we’re more focused on foods that are natural and less processed and eating a varied diet.” On the production side, the German meat industry produced approximately 340 million pounds less meat in 2017 in response to decreased demand for animal products—which declined from 60.6 kilograms (134 pounds) to 59 kilograms (130 pounds) per capita from 2015 to 2016.